Nearly 14,000 people from two Nigerian communities are seeking justice in the high court in London against the fossil fuel giant Shell, claiming it is responsible for devastating pollution of their water sources and destruction of their way of life.
The individuals from the Niger delta area of Ogale, a farming community, lodged their claims last week, joining more than 2,000 people from the Bille area, a largely fishing community. In total 13,652 claims from individuals, and from churches and schools, are asking the oil giant to clean up the pollution which they say has devastated their communities. They are also asking for compensation for the resulting loss of their livelihoods. Their ability to farm and fish has been destroyed by the continuing oil spills from Shell operations, they claim.
Shell, which declared profits of more than $30bn for the first three quarters of 2022, argues that the communities have no legal standing to force it to clean up. Shell argues also that the individuals are barred from seeking compensation for spills which happened five years before they lodged their claims. The company says it bears no responsibility for the clandestine siphoning off of oil from its pipelines by organised gangs, which it says causes many of the spills.
The case against Shell is taking place as the oil major prepares to leave the Niger delta after more than 80 years of operations which have reaped substantial profits.
As well as the thousands of individual claims against Shell, lawyers are also seeking compensation for alleged damage to communally owned property, to benefit everyone living in the midst of chronic pollution in the 40,000-strong rural community of Ogale, and in Bille, a 13,000-strong fishing community living on a group of islands in the mangrove forest region of the eastern Niger delta.
The stream which is the main source of water in Ogale for farming, drinking, and fishing has been severely polluted by oil contamination, the claims state. The pollution has killed fish, contaminated the drinking water and ruined the farmland. Most of the water coming from the borehole taps or wells in Ogale has a strong stench of oil, and is visibly brown, or covered in a sheen of oil, the claims state.